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jesse rogers
The difference in off-season activity levels in the National League Central is stark.
On one side of the divide, chicago cubs And pittsburgh pirates Have been active in attempting to make improvements for the 2026 season. St. Louis Cardinals They’re also busy themselves, dealing with veterans as they enter a new chapter.
On the other end, milwaukee brewers And cincinnati reds Have been very quiet coming off a playoff berth a season ago.
Let’s take a look at each team’s offseason activity and what could be next. Additionally, we’ve given each team an urgency rating – from one to five, based on how much each still needs to accomplish before reporting to camp:
1–Their work is (essentially) completed.
2–They are experiencing severe cold, but more help will be available.
3–We will predict their winter based on where it goes from here.
4– We are roaming…
5–This has become a disaster. Can they turn it around?
chicago cubs
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3b alex bregman
rhp Edward Cabrera
RHP Phil Maton
rhp hunter harvey
LHP hobby milner
What he has achieved so far: The Cubs have completely rebuilt their bullpen after saying goodbye to 2025 veterans brad keller And Drew PomeranzAdding Maton, Hunter and Milner. But his biggest addition comes at third base, where Bregman has taken over. matt shaw. Shaw showed promise as a rookie in the second half, but he’s not Bregman, who brings leadership and championship experience along with his firepower. With the addition of Cabrera, the Cubs’ rotation is as deep as it has been in years, leading to what is expected to be a seven-month season. They ran out of weapons last October.
What they still need to do: With Bregman in the mix, the Cubs have a surplus in the infield. Do they keep or trade them all? second baseman nico horner is a free agent next year, but moving him would hurt the team’s chances of winning no matter where else they strengthen the roster – Hoerner was He Valuable to the team last season. and together kyle tucker moving forward and possibility owen casey Cabrera was traded for right field. Seiya Suzukidomain again?
Urgency Rating: 1
cincinnati reds
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nobody
What he has achieved so far: Cincinnati has rebuilt its bullpen somewhat with re-signings. Emilio Pagan while adding pierce johnson And Caleb Ferguson for his mix. Furthermore, it has been a relatively quiet offseason after early disagreements with the then-free agent kyle schwarber.
What they still need to do: Increase their crime. It’s no secret that Cincinnati has been lacking at the plate at times in 2025, but he hasn’t received a significant upgrade there yet. There is still time as the Reds continue to explore both free agency and a trade. Hanging on to one of their starters – they’re deep there – is one way to move forward. a reunion with eugenio suarez A good fit, too – just not at third base where the team performed better defensively when he made the trade last season K’Brian Hayes. It’s also important to complete your work in the pen before spring training.
Urgency Rating: 4
milwaukee brewers
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LHP angel jerpa
What he has achieved so far: Baseball’s best team last regular season is once again not making much headlines in the offseason. The Brewers aren’t major players in free agency these days, but remain completely healthy Brandon Woodruff This can be seen as a major increase in its own way through a qualified offering. The team also thought highly of Zerpa as a 2025 Rookie of the Year candidate (isaac collins) for him. Keep an eye on his progress – as a starter or reliever – as well as consider how well Milwaukee has done with pitching acquisitions over the past few years.
What they still need to do: A major task for the Brewers brass before spring training is figuring out what to do with the aces freddy peraltaWhose salary this year is only 8 million dollars. He’ll likely be motivated to maximize his value before he hits free agency after the season. It’s just how Milwaukee operates – always thinking one step ahead to keep its chances full while trying to compete. Brewers have mastered this. Expect two-time MLB Executive of the Year Matt Arnold to hit a home run in any Peralta deal.
Urgency Rating: 3
pittsburgh pirates
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2b brandon lowe
1b Ryan O’Hearn
Of jake mangum
Of jostinxon garcia
What he has achieved so far: Pittsburgh plans to improve its offense, and the Pirates have done so through trades and the free agent signing of O’Hearn. That doesn’t mean they’ll be juggernauts at the plate, but they’ll be better than last season. it’s a start. Lowe and O’Hearn also bring experience playing for playoff-caliber teams, which is a much-needed advantage for the Pirates.
What they still need to do: The Pirates are not done looking for an offensive tackle, who could come in the form of an outfield bat or addition to the left side of the infield. Or both. And after getting down to business with their pitching depth, moving on johan oviedo And mike burroughs In separate deals, they may also look to replenish that part of their roster.
It’s already been as active an offseason as the Pirates have been in recent memory as they try to build around the ace Paul Skenes. Small moves could happen between now and spring training, but Pittsburgh shouldn’t be ruled out.
Urgency Rating: 2
St. Louis Cardinals
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rhp dustin may
What he has achieved so far: St. Louis cleans up homes, businesses sonny gray And wilson contreras in two separate deals with boston red sox (Former team of Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom). Then on Tuesday the Cardinals went nolan arenado till Arizona Diamondbacks For possibilities. Getting all three players to waive their no-trade clauses was an accomplishment in itself, and helped the team move forward.
What they still need to do: Deciding where to trade a popular second baseman Brendan Donovan One of the bigger tasks left for Bloom is to continue adding young talent to the organization. Assuming the Cardinals move up, they could also use a right-handed bat to fill some holes created this offseason.
Urgency Rating: 2
